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In Music

By Bobby Tanzilo Managing Editor Photography by Sean Berry E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Bobby Tanzilo

Published May 23, 2006 at 5:06 a.m.

Tags: moffitt, burst, holter, stolen ep, mike hoffmann

Singer and songwriter Julie Moffitt is about to release her second CD in two years, which is a pretty good rate for a locally based performer. Her first, a full-length disc called "Everything I Never Asked For," was produced by veteran Milwaukee musician and producer Mike Hoffmann.

That disc led to a meeting with the Burst Collective's Daniel Holter, who heard a tune and liked it. That led to the recording of the new "Stolen EP," released this week. The disc -- fueled by Moffitt's warm voice and acoustic guitar -- is tender and passionate and is the kind of folk-infused pop that made Jewel a star.

I heard her voice on the OnMilwaukee.com sampler last summer and thought she'd be a good possibility for Burst, and we're always looking for female artists," says Holter, who added that after some discussions, it seemed like a good fit.

"You never really know until you spend some time together in the studio, which I do with all of our artists at first -- let's flirt a bit before we get married, you know," he says. "After hearing her sing and seeing that she was willing to work her butt off on her own, I knew we'd be a good match. She was in that place where she was primed to take that next step and put out something truly professional and top notch. She agreed, so we decided to try an EP.

With its ace, mainstream production, "Stolen" is the kind of record that could break Moffitt out to a huge audience. Holter says he's got high hopes.

"The best surprises always come about when you have amazing players and good people involved in the project. The end result is, in my opinion, pretty magical ... very organic, very vibey and real."

We asked Moffitt what thinks of "Stolen" and about the varied experiences of recording with the scrappy Hoffmann, whose productions are homegrown and often engagingly eclectic, and with the more polished Burst team.

OMC: The EP sounds a lot different than last year's LP. Do you see the difference between Mike Hoffmann's production and Daniel Holter's more radio-friendly approach as a progression or just a different road?

JM: Perhaps a progression down a different road. Seriously, I enjoyed working with Mike, and there are some songs on that album that I wouldn't have any other way. "Movin' On," for example. But it was also my first attempt at an album of my own music, my first time handing my songs over to a producer and saying, "Here, make it sound the way it sounded in my head when I wrote it!"

I hadn't performed most of those songs live at the time, had just plucked them out of my notebook and played them for Mike, and then settled in to work. So over the following year of playing live and writing a few new tunes, my ideas about the songs and the style of music that I wanted to write and perform definitely shifted. Those ideas are still shifting, and I'm sure they'll continue to do so indefinitely.

OMC: The methods were obviously quite different. Knowing Mike, you guys probably worked on your own over a longer time and at Burst you probably worked quicker and with seasoned studio musicians. What did you learn from those experiences?

JM: There are definitely aspects of each style that I appreciate. Mike's approach rings true with certain audiences in a way that a more radio-friendly style just won't, and vice versa. But I hate the notion of being pigeonholed into any one category, and even identifying myself within a genre for marketing purposes has driven me crazy at times. It's just a question of listening to each song and figuring out where it came from, and where it's going.

Regardless of the approach, there's always a lot of down time for me in the studio -- I confess to being completely out of the loop when it comes to the knobs and gadgets that make things sound amazing. I find myself spending a lot of time sitting on the couch and listening while the producer or sound tech makes minute adjustments to things, and then when a big decision comes up, I'm a little comatose from lack of activity.

So what I've learned, after being involved in the recording of two albums in two very different situations, is that a) I require large quantities of Sugar Free Red Bull to get through, and b) I work best when I go into the studio knowing what I want to hear, and can comfortably convey those desires to the producer and musicians. With Daniel, a lot of times I felt like I didn't even have to say anything-- the words were coming out of his mouth before I'd even opened mine. We had very similar visions right from the start, so I felt comfortable turning him loose.

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7 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on June 27, 2006 at 2:51 p.m. (report)

Whoa said: Julie is beautiful and talented, she will go far.

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Posted by OMCreader on May 30, 2006 at 9:45 a.m. (report)

Matt Smith said: Call me naive, but it seems to me to be a little self-defeating to attack someone who is spending his own money to promote and propel the local music of a talented yet vastly unrecognized area. The love of music is so dependent on taste, and taste varies. While Dr. No's comments smack of both juvenile message-board "your band sucks" monotony and perhaps a hint of jilted "my band is better" jealousy, they come down to a matter of taste. In a local scene that can use all the help it can get, and whose success helps everyone, this kind of ridiclous petty attack does nothing but a disservice to all involved.

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Posted by OMCreader on May 29, 2006 at 11:32 a.m. (report)

dukefame said: Dr No obviously hasn't heard the stuff Pipitone recorded with Burst. It's got plenty of emotion and balls, and flat out rocks at times. Can't comment on the rest of the catalog (haven't heard anything else), but I'm certain it's well done.

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Posted by OMCreader on May 29, 2006 at 11:09 a.m. (report)

Owen Sartori said: It appears that OMC does allow some degree of personal attacks and childish behavior, don't they Dr. NO? I'm a recording artist currently signed with Burst Records. I've been writing, recording and performing original music for over 20 years. I know Daniel's work, I know Julie's record, and I know the industry quite well. So, I'd like to address your comments if I may. "The American Idol of Milwaukee music...Daniel Holter, ladies and gents." A slam, no doubt. His music has actually appeared on that very show. Barring an understandable distaste for the commerciality of the show itself, his work has been heard by tens of millions. I'd call that quite an accomplishment. "He will beat this formula till he gets a winning horse." Again, a matter of taste. If you prefer the amateur and sonically unrefined to the professional and sonically pristine, that choice is yours. Julie's record is beautiful, vibey and extremely well-produced, and it can compete against any pro record on the market today. "Of course in order to get that pony you have to have a finisher and so far, no luck." This is a very sad (and not terribly educated) comment to make. No, apart from Daniel's writing of Emma Roberts' national hit single "I Wanna Be," none of his Burst artists (all two which have so far been released) have had national success... yet. The label is not yet three years old. The Milwaukee scene can survive a few more without a hit band, don't you think? And don't you think you should let Julie's record become publically available before making those kinds of judgements? "I admire his blind devotion to musical production devoid of emotion and individuality." I'm not sure if you heard Julie's first record - which she was quite proud of at the time. It was, in my opinion, a disservice to the kind of talent and songwriting ability Julie possesses. Incohesive, sonically unsound, sophomoric... and unreasonably costly for the quality of the return. Now, I certainly can't speak for Julie, but she and I have had lengthy talks about this process and the record on her hands. She's happy. The sense I get is that this is FAR closer to her musical vision than her previous record. Ultimately, isn't that more important than your adolescent critique of Daniel Holter's production style? "Good luck Julie...in LA." Indeed, good luck wherever your career takes you, Julie.

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Posted by OMCreader on May 28, 2006 at 11:14 p.m. (report)

Daniel Holter said: "The American Idol of Milwaukee music...Daniel Holter, ladies and gents. He will beat this formula till he gets a winning horse. Of course in order to get that pony you have to have a finisher and so far, no luck." I'm not quite sure I follow the American Idol analogy - maybe you know more about our business dealings than myself or Burst's artists - but I'd be interested in honest discussion on the topic anytime. "I admire his blind devotion to musical production devoid of emotion and individuality." I admire your willingness to call me out in such a public and direct way... oh wait - no, this was an nameless post in the comments section of a local lifestyle website. Such balls, my friend! Such big balls you have! "Good luck Julie...in LA." Hey, thanks for the kind words and positive attitude! Seriously, anytime you'd like to discuss the state of music production and local artists, feel free to drop me a line. I can't get in touch with you, of course, because you posted anonymously. :)

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